bbc.co.uk According to a report on popular technology blog Techcrunch, Facebook's new venture - codenamed Project Titan - is being dubbed a "Gmail killer". The blog suggests Facebook is preparing to unveil a fully-fledged e-mail service for the web.

telegraph.co.uk A Qantas flight from Sydney to Buenos Aires has been forced to turn back after experiencing electrical problems.

ft.com Qantas Airways raised from three to 14 the number of Rolls-Royce engines that power its A380 superjumbos that it may have to replace after investigations into an emergency landing in Singapore this month discovered oil leaks in the turbine area of the engines.


A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.

dailymail.co.uk Only 24 hours after being released from years of house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi said that she wants to meet Burma's ruling generals to work towards national reconciliation. The courageous pro-democracy leader said she would like to sit down and talk with members of the junta.

smh.com.au She joins 55 million of her fellow citizens in the far larger prison that is Burma today. This ''golden land,'' once the richest country in South-east Asia and now by far the poorest as a consequence of nearly 50 years of military rule, is home to the most egregious human rights abuses of forced labor, routine mass rape, attacks on ethnic minorities, and all manner of horrors to match the most despotic of regimes.

Phuket Update Phuket has gained two new Vice Governors among 69 appointments to Thailand's 77 provinces. They are Somkirt Sangkhaowsudthisak, now serving in Surin, and Weerawat Janpen, from Krabi. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat have been kept extremely busy.

bbc.co.uk A retired British couple who spent almost 400 days held hostage in Somalia have spoken of their "traumatic" time. Paul and Rachel Chandler, kidnapped off their yacht near the Seychelles in October 2009, said they had been beaten when they refused to be separated.

cnn.com It later emerged that their kidnapping was witnessed by sailors aboard the Royal Navy refueling vessel, the RFA Wave Knight, who did not intervene for fear of putting lives at risk.

bloomberg.com Casino Guichard Perrachon SA, the French retailer, may have beaten Tesco in its bid to buy 40 supermarkets in Thailand from Carrefour SA, the Financial Times reported, without saying where it got the information. The purchase, which will cost Casino Guichard more than 700 million euros, comes after an auction of a package of Carrefour stores in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, the FT said.

bangkokpost.com Thai Airways International (THAI) is poised to post a record annual net profit in 2010 with earnings of over 10 billion baht.

tmz.com Mel Gibson was persona non grata on 'The Hangover 2' set in Thailand ... but not so with Former President Bill Clinton, whom TMZ has now confirmed just shot a cameo. Our spies say they saw Bill walk on the set and were told by crew members he was filming.

bangkokpost.com Thai heavy industry is likely to shift to industrial estates in Burma's western coastal city of Dawei instead of setting up facilities in southern Thailand or Map Ta Phut, warns the government's economic think-tank. To prepare for massive development, Thailand needs to construct infrastructure to link Dawei to the eastern seaboard in Chon Buri.

todayonline.com Although there have been reports of several Qantas flights turning back and engine problems in the Airbus A380, holidaymakers here have not put off their plans for the holiday season. Travel agents tell MediaCorp they have not received cancellations on Qantas flights or flights of other carriers operating the A380.

Associated Press Rescuers digging through a meter of ash discovered nine more bodies on the slopes of Mount Merapi, whose explosive eruption a week ago buried whole villages. As confirmation of more deaths trickled in, the toll from a series of blasts at the Indonesian volcano rose to at least 250.

capecodonline.com Arthur Frommer writes: I am well aware that any critique of TripAdvisor immediately generates comments from defenders, claiming the site is invaluable and that my own views are affected by an obvious self-interest in preferring to use hotel and restaurant appraisals by professional travel writers in guidebooks. I admit such self-interest, but would suggest that supporters of the contrary position take a look at some of TripAdvisor's most recent reviews.
A great many of those reviews display the following pattern: 10 persons claim that a particular hotel is one of the worst - dirty, uncomfortable and with a surly staff. Ten other people claim that the same hotel is one of the best - clean and comfortable, and with a friendly, outgoing staff. Which to believe? Do you flip a coin?

afp Children as young as six will be given sex education in Malaysian primary schools from next year, an official said Sunday, as part of a drive to curb ''baby-dumping,'' promiscuity and HIV. Deputy education minister Wee Ka Siong told AFP that pupils aged between six and 11 will study the new curriculum, which has been designed with parents and civil society groups.

Associated Press Sebastian Vettel became Formula One's youngest ever champion, taking advantage of Fernando Alonso's disappointing performance to clinch the title with a win at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.



November 19 AustCham at the new Westin Hotel at Koh Sireh from 3pm. E: harry@ladypie.com Tel: 081 2731740
November 21 Loy Kratong Festival
November 26-28 Phuket Honda Racing Fest at Saphan Hin, Phuket City
November 28 Laguna Phuket triathlon
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
December 5 Laguna Ironman title
December 3-5 North Phuket Culinary Arts Festival, Mai Khao resorts
December 15-20 Patong Carnival
December 16-18 2010 Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
December 17 US Consular outreach service on Phuket
December 30-January 9 Phuket Red Cross fair, Saphan Hin park, Phuket City
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
January 22 QSI International fun run day at Bang Wad Dam, Kathu
January 23 The Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race Day, Laguna Phuket
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi